Palace Game 6/3

[fujimaru]

The Dreamer In The Grand Temple
Humanity Foundation Value: ????

What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.

Comments

[fujimaru]

When he taps on the door, he hears, as clearly as if she were standing next to him, the sound of Da Vinci from Sphinx. She appears to be in lecture mode:

"Kirschtaria Wodime. The chairman of the Animusphere-controlled Astromancy Department, one of the Clock Tower's twelve departments of study, and the official Team A leader. He's the head of the exceptionally distinguished Wodime family, whose name and magical circuits have both been around for thousands of years.

He's also Marisbury's top pupil, and was rumored to be a better heir to the Lordship than Olga Marie.

He was expected to forge a contract with a Lancer. In terms of overall magecraft capability, he was head and shoulders above the rest."

[eggstinction]

[jumps at the sudden voice]

...Congratulations to him? On his accomplishments??

[fujimaru]

When he looks, there is no one there. It's just him, the four broken statues, and the three intact.

The statue for the fifth door is a soldier holding a lance, their feet braced in an aggressive sort of pose.

[eggstinction]

And thank you for the explanation.

[Thanks the air anyways. Just in case!

Eyes the soldier, then goes to wiggle their lance. Is it fixed in place?]

[fujimaru]

It is, though as he fiddles with it, the statue itself abruptly moves, trying to take a jab at him. The angle is bad, and he's too close for the head to actually graze him, but it's not for lack of trying.

[eggstinction]

[Chatters and backs up quickly, putting his hands up!]

Nevermind, nevermind!

[fujimaru]

As soon as he backs off, the statue returns to its same aggressive but resting stance.

The other two statues are, for the record, a hunched-over figure with a skull mask, and a massive one--almost as big as he is, honestly--carrying a cleaver nearly as long as they are tall.

[eggstinction]

[well he's definitely not touching the CLEAVER after that]

I am sorry for trying to take your spear— lance. If you are animate, may I ask you for directions?

[fujimaru]

There is no response. It appears to be just a statue.

[eggstinction]

So I am not allowed to take your spear, but I can have these...

[Giving the Lancer a once-over and circling the other two standing statues, doing a last sweep for trinkets.]

[fujimaru]

There is nothing else, apparently. Just the four items he has, from the four ruined doors. He can have the feeling that something is watching him as he searches, but it just appears to be that: the feeling of being watched, but no one there.

[eggstinction]

[da vinci?? lancer??]

And those doors are still locked.

[going back to the rubble to attempt sorting the pieces out to their own original sets or at least tidier piles.]

[fujimaru]

As he goes through the rubble, he might not be able to rebuild the statues, but he can see that there are shaped depressions in the base of each broken statue. The three intact only had a single round space, but the shapes for each of the statues match the items he has picked up from their corresponding rubble.

[eggstinction]

—I see! That is better safekeeping. Better the plinth than my pocket.

[taking the items out to set them in their matching holes!!]

[fujimaru]

Once he sets everything into their proper places, there's a low snort behind him. It's a gruff voice, growly, though it sounds like that's just a quality of the voice rather than any aggression.

"You were just gonna make off with those, huh?"

[eggstinction]

[JUMPS]

Not to keep!!

[fujimaru]

When he turns to look, it's this handsome fellow, eyeing him warily.

"You sure? I wouldn't recommend taking anything out of here either way, buddy. There's nothing here worth saving."

[eggstinction]

[straightens up and dusts the rubble dust off his pelt, quickly trying to look harmless and polite]

I was going to give them to Ritsuka.

[fujimaru]

The wolf's ears swivel forward at the mention of Ritsuka's name, then pin back slightly. "Heh. Don't bother. There's nothing in here that she can do anything with, or should do anything with, except destroy it."

[eggstinction]

Whether she wants to keep them, destroy them, or only set them aside for a while, that is for her to decide.

Who are you?

[fujimaru]

He shrugs. "The name's Patxi. And I'm telling you, it won't do any good. She can't do anything with 'em."

He sounds... a little regretful about it, though he's mostly gruff.

[eggstinction]

[gives him a small nod]

Hello, Patxi. I am Moon.

What do you mean? Are these not her memories?

[fujimaru]

"They are, but none of us exist anymore."

He says it very casually, like it's no big deal. SHRUG,,,?

"We're the last memories of worlds that have been pruned away. She's the last one who'll remember, when it's all over with."

[eggstinction]

She can share them. Even if she does not speak them, to know her is to know a little of you and everyone else she has met.

And I will remember this glimpse of you now. I will remember nearly to forever.

[fujimaru]

"Forever, huh? Ha." Patxi seems almost amused by this, smiling the way a wolf might, mostly teeth. "I don't need that long. It's not like I got to see any of the stuff she told me about. ...But that's not a bad way of thinking about it."